Small-dollar donors have power in NY. This bill could weaken it.

Plus: Menendez's wife killed a pedestrian, police said [View this email in a browser.]( Gothamist relies on your support to make local news available to all. Not yet a member? [Consider donating and join today.]( [Over 100 campaigns requested public funds in NY — but a change might weaken small donors' power]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter curated by James Ramsay]( Weather: ☀️ Mostly sunny, with highs in the mid 70s and a chance of rain overnight. Good Thursday morning in New York City, where small-dollar political donors could soon find their power diminished. If Gov. Kathy Hochul signs a bill passed by both houses of the state Legislature, candidates for state office would have to collect a higher number of donations just to qualify for public matching funds — and donations above the current $250 limit would be matched by the state. Advocates opposing the changes fear they would undermine the original intent of the public matching program. Here's what else is happening: - A Rikers Island correction officer has been charged with allegedly stealing more than [$170,000 in salary and overtime pay]( for hours he actually spent hanging out at home or on vacation. - [Math and reading scores]( for New York City public school students increased from 2022 to 2023 — though the Adams administration acknowledged it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, since the state recently changed its standards. - Actor Julia Ormond, who [says Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted her in 1995]( filed a lawsuit in Manhattan yesterday using New York State’s Adult Survior’s Act, which offers sexual assault victims a limited window to seek monetary damages regardless of when an offense took place. - An NYPD officer accused of [punching someone 13 times]( during a 2022 incident pleaded not guilty yesterday to a misdemeanor assault charge. - A 16-year-old mom and her 5-month-old baby are missing after [leaving their Queens home]( Tuesday morning, according to police. - Over on X, New York congressmembers [are fighting]( about who's responsible for former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's demotion. - In a 2018 incident that went unpublicized at the time, New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez's now-wife, Nadine, [hit and killed a man with her Mercedes]( and came away uncharged, according to Bogota Police Department records obtained by NorthJersey.com. - One way to boost New York City's housing supply: Turn empty offices into "flexible co-living" spaces (dorms) for [Zoomers](. - A 30-year-old New Jersey woman who was caught on camera drunkenly telling German tourists on an NJ Transit train to ["get the f**k out of our country"]( has been fired by her employer, Capital Rx. - Brooklyn Bridge Park is getting an [ice skating rink](. - Several female professors at Vassar College are suing the school for "systematically" [paying male teachers more]( than women. - A woman is suing Walt Disney Parks and Resorts after allegedly getting [such a bad wedgie]( on a Disney World water slide that she had to go to the hospital. - Saturday Night Live returns on October 14, with [Pete Davidson hosting]( and Ice Spice as the musical guest. - If you wear high-performance stretchy clothes to the office, [you will smell bad](. "I[t makes running insurgent campaigns that rely on small donors and local support, it just makes it a lot harder for us to mount a really viable campaign.]( - Queens Assembly candidate Claire Valdez, who opposes [THE BILL TO CHANGE THE STATE'S PUBLIC MATCHING FUNDS PROGRAM]( More from Gothamist [second image]( ['What we're doing as a society is not working': Nick Offerman joins WNYC's 'All Things Considered']( Parks and Recreation star Nick Offerman joined "All Things Considered" live in the Greene Space last night to talk about the state of New York's entertainment industry — and why everyone should learn more about agriculture. [Rikers detainees are isolated and idle after programming budget cuts, advocates tell NYC Council]( Classes for detainees on carpentry, plumbing, financial literacy, cognitive behavioral therapy, drug relapse prevention and anger management have all been canceled. [We Rely On Your Support]( [MTA says New York's mass transit is in dire need of climate resilience upgrades]( Some 400 miles of subway tracks, 350 subway and railway station elevators, 6,300 rail cars and the entire fleet of 6,000 buses will need fixing or replacing by 2043, according to a new MTA report. [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 [TERMS OF USE]( You can update your [PREFERENCES]( or [UNSUBSCRIBE]( from this list.